Makar Sankranti and How to Celebrate It!

Happy Makar Sankranti with very special food! This holiday celebrates the sun’s calendar transition from fall to winter. Also known as the winter solstice with the longest night of the year, it marked the astrological transition of Sagittarious to Capricorn.

This festival is one of the few Hindu festivals aligned with the solar cycleThe ancient holiday is so old that even with the change in the sun’s relationship to earth that moved the holiday back a a little bit, it is celebrated on January 14 and 15 this year!

Makar Sankranti is considered a day of happiness and prosperity by Hindus. It is also a day to make a fresh start. The wishes are: Let Makar Sankranti take away all the pain and usher you with blessings and the hope of a better tomorrow.

The holiday is so important that is observed all over the country with different names in different areas: magh Bihu in Assam, Maghi in Punjab, Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh, Maghi Sangrand or Uttarain in Jammu, Sakraat in Haryana, Sukarat in central India, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, uttarayan in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh

Makar Sankranti is celebrated to observe sun’s transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn. It marks the sun’s transit into Makara (Capricorn) raashi (zodiac sign). It marks the beginning of the harvest season when people worship new crops and happily share them.

For Hindus. The festival is mentioned in the scriptures to remember to practice tenacity, worship, charity and sacrifice. Dedicated to Lord Surya (Sun God). The day starts with a dip in the holy waters of Ganges. Then food and sweets are offered to the sun god and worshipped. Khichdi forms an important part of Makar Sankranti celebrations at home as well. It is prepared with utmost devotion and offered to the god. It is then consumed by everyone in the family as prasad.

Holiday menu FESTIVAL BOX: $12.99

Manago Tamarind rice (Andhra)

Venn Pongal (Tamil Nadu specialty)

Venn (white in tamil) Pongal ((Tamis nadu specialty) Light on the stomach and easy to prepare

this traditional South Indian dish  made with rice, split yellow mung dal, ghee, cumin, ginger, pepper and curry leaves 

Vada/Eggplant Curry (Andra)

Sweet Pongal (South Indian)

Sweet pongal is a delicious South Indian dish made with rice, moong lentils, ghee, jaggery or sugar, cardamoms and nuts.  

Curd rice (South Indian) & Pickle

Curd rice, also called yogurt rice, refers to unsweetened probiotic yogurt. It is most popular in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; and also in Maharashtra.